In the months leading up to the ninth running of Ironman Coeur d'Alene on June 26, 2011, Derek Garcia will be writing a monthly column keeping the community updated on his journey as well as what the hundreds of athletes from the Inland Northwest are doing in preparation for the race.

It is only February and I am already seeing the signs. The short list includes irritability, dependence on coffee, obsession with what the scale reads, and denying the body rest even after a nagging cold.

This is just at my house. Then as I head to teach one of my swim classes I find out that I'm not the only one.

It is no surprise really. I always know that this time will come in the yearly preparation for Ironman. It just seemed to come earlier this year. Indoor training can make you crazy. It is like caging a bird.

This is why you may have seen myself and a few others riding our bikes outside on a 35-degree "warm" afternoon in January. All I can think about is swimming, biking, and running in the sunshine, and I am not talking about the 8-degree sunshine we have been getting.

I WAS having a conversation a few weeks ago with one of my athletes that was on the verge of burnout. Slightly different than the February blues that I was describing earlier, but very similar.

I began to ask her some questions to find out how deep she was into the process of becoming burnt out. After some talking it became clear that she really needed to take some time off.

This is a scary proposition for most triathletes. Taking time off seems like the cardinal sin. Most will have to have a debilitating injury or a virus that completely wipes them out before they will take a break. It is hard to explain, but the thought of taking time off causes this long-term projection of what will happen. It brings about thoughts of losing all fitness, and ultimately not reaching their goals.

SO LET me reign it back in. This is as much for myself as it is for those reading. Taking rest when sick, or when things aren’t fun anymore, is a good thing. True fitness does not come from the working out itself, but from the adaptations of the workout.

This means RECOVERY is the key to getting better. Not punishing the body. Fighting through sickness or unhappiness may lead to never getting to the start line, much less the finish. It is all about pacing. There have to be little goals and milestones along the journey to make the commitment worthwhile.

Believe me when I say that missing one week in February is better than missing three days in April. Those final 12 weeks of buildup are crucial and the only way to arrive healthy both mentally and physically is to keep things in check right now.

Athletes must stay consistent and listen to their bodies right now. Consistency is what will ultimately lead to success. It is amazing how the training is what ultimately leads to a successful race. Ironman Sunday is a microcosm of how an athlete deals with all of these situations leading to the race. The way an athlete handles conflicts now is often the way they are dealt with during the race.

SO HERE are the keys for the next few months. Stay healthy or get healthy is number one. Then base things off the 20/50/30 swim/bike/run scenario I mentioned last month. Try to make a schedule that includes one rest day a week, one rest week every month. Those bike miles are huge right now even if they are indoors.

Long rides should be close to the 3-4 hour range by the end of February. Long runs should be in the neighborhood of 90 minutes and long swims should be hitting at least 3,000 yards. Next month I will talk about the importance of hitting those bike miles and more on periodization.

FOR THIS month I will leave you with this humbling, yet true story about me.

Two weeks ago, after getting over a nagging cold, I got on my indoor trainer with a few of my athletes to do a Saturday long ride. It was supposed to get me back on track after a rough week of being sick.

Thirty minutes into the ride I had a major bike trainer malfunction that caused me to actually tip over on my bike and almost caused a domino effect with those around me. I got up disgusted with my trainer, embarrassed, hurt, and frustrated.

So I through a hissy fit and then proceeded to kick a fan like a winning field goal kick. In my anger I put on my running clothes and went for a 12-mile run while my athletes finished their bike ride in silence. It literally took me 10 miles before steam wasn’t coming out of my ears.

Once I cooled off I then apologized for my childish behavior to those that witnessed my tantrum and began to reflect on my meltdown. Then I began to write. Remember what coaches always say — do as I say, not as I do!

Derek Garcia is a multisport coach at the Salvation Army Kroc Center, owns his own personal coaching business, Derek Garcia Multisports, and will also be on the start line at this year’s Ironman event. Contact Derek at dg@derekgarcia.com.